Medical line securement device

ABSTRACT

A medical line securement device holds a medical article such as a connector fitting for a catheter or a catheter adaptor in position upon the body of a patient and inhibits axial motion of the medical article. The securement device includes a retainer with a base and a cover. The cover is hinged to the base such that it may be moved between an open and closed position. The base and cover each have a groove which cooperate when the cover is in the closed position to form a channel through the retainer. The medical article includes an elongated body which is received within the groove of the retainer, the elongated body lying between at least a pair of regions of larger radius of the medical article. By receiving the portion of the elongated body of the medical article between the regions of larger radius, axial motion of the medical article through the groove is inhibited. The retainer may also include one or more slots to receive any radial projections of the medical article within the retainer.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/527,904, filed on Sep. 26, 2006, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,635,355,entitled MEDICAL LINE SECUREMENT DEVICE, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 10/429,217, filed on May 1, 2003, entitled MEDICALLINE SECUREMENT DEVICE, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,256, which claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from Provisional Application No.60/377,060, filed on May 1, 2002, Provisional Application No.60/381,728, filed May 17, 2002, Provisional Application No. 60/400,579,filed on Jul. 31, 2002, and Provisional Application No. 60/400,638,filed on Jul. 31, 2002, the entirety of each of which is herebyincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a securement device for use with medicalarticles. More specifically, this invention relates to an anchoringsystem which releasably retains a fitting or adaptor of the medicalarticle in position upon a patient.

2. Description of the Related Art

It is common in the treatment of patients to utilize catheters tointroduce fluids and medications directly into the patient or towithdraw fluids from the patient. Often, it becomes desirable tomaintain such catheterization over an extended period of time during thetreatment of a patient. In order to keep the catheter or other medicalline properly positioned for the duration of treatment, the catheter ormedical line may be secured to the patient in a variety of ways. Mostcommonly, this involves taping the catheter or medical line to thepatient.

Securing a catheter with tape upon the patient traditionally has certaindrawbacks. The use of tape at the insertion site may retain dirt orother contaminant particles, potentially leading to infection of thepatient. Additionally, removal of taped dressings may itself causeundesired motion of the catheter upon the patient.

Taped dressings also require periodic changes. The frequent, oftendaily, removal and reapplication of adhesive tape to the skin of thepatient can excoriate the skin in the area around the dressing. Suchrepeated applications of tape over the catheter or medical line mayadditionally lead to the build up of adhesive residue on the outersurface of the catheter or medical line. This residue can result incontaminants adhering to the catheter itself, increasing the likelihoodof infection of the insertion site. This residue may also make thecatheter or medical line stickier and more difficult to handle formedical attendants.

For these reasons, a need exists for an improved way to secure cathetersand medical lines to patients where the catheter may remain in placeover an extended period of time and may be easily released from thesecurement device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the systems and techniques describedherein, a releasable medical line securement system is provided. Thesystem includes a retainer comprising a body made up of a base and acover. The base and cover are movable with respect to each another, andmay be moved so as to establish a closed condition and an opencondition. When in the closed condition, the base and cover cooperate toform a channel. The body of the retainer has at least one surface whichextends in a direction normal to the axis of the channel.

The system also can include a medical article which has an elongatedbody and at least one radially expending member that extends from theelongated body in a direction normal to the axis of the elongated body.The radially extending member of the medical article abuts the surfaceof the retainer when the retainer is in the closed condition, in orderto inhibit longitudinal motion of the medical article through theretainer

In another aspect a retainer is provided for releasably securing afitting for an elongated medical article. The fitting defines a maximumradial dimension from an axial centerline of the elongated medicalarticle. The retainer comprises a body, comprising a base and a cover.The base and cover are movable as described above in order to establisha closed configuration and an open configuration. The base has a firstgroove and the cover has a second groove, the first and second groovesarranged so that when the base and cover are in the closed configurationthe grooves define a channel with a central axis. The channel defines aminimum radial dimension from an axial centerline of the channel andthis minimum radial dimension of the channel is smaller than the maximumlateral dimension of the fitting.

In accordance with another aspect of the systems and techniquesdescribed herein, a system for releasably securing a medical line orcatheter is provided. The medical line or other medical article to besecured may include an elongated body, a radially extending memberhaving a radius greater than the elongated body, and a spin nut forattaching the medical line to a second medical line. A retainer for themedical line is provided which includes a base and a cover which arecoupled together and are movable between an open position and a closedposition. When the cover is moved in the closed position, a channel isdefined between the base and the cover, the channel being configured toreceive at least a portion of the elongated body of the medical article.The retainer inhibits axial movement of the medical article through thechannel when the cover is placed in a closed position.

In an alternative aspect, the medical line may include a second regionwith a radius greater than the elongated body of the medical line.

In a further aspect of a system in accordance with the descriptionherein, the portion of the medical article which is received by thechannel of the retainer is located between the radially extending memberand the spin nut or another radially extending member of the medicalarticle.

In another aspect of a system in accordance with the description herein,one or more slots may be disposed transverse to the axis of the groove.These slots may be configured to receive a tab or other projectionlocated upon the medical line, such as the tab of a catheter adaptor.

In another aspect the retainer further comprises a latching mechanismwhich operates between the base and the cover to selectively secure thecover to the base when the cover is in the closed position. The latchingmechanism may include an arm, an actuator bar attached to the arm, and abutton disposed on the end of the actuator bar. The arm may be flexiblyconnected to the base of the retainer, and may include a pair of tangsat the upper end of the arm. Lateral pressure upon the button maydeflect the arm such that the tangs are moved laterally.

In a further aspect of the described system, the cover of the retainermay include a pair of receiver openings into which the tangs arepositioned when the cover is in the closed position. The tangs aredeflected laterally via the button and actuator bar and arm in order torelease the tangs from the receiver openings and release the cover fromthe closed position.

In another aspect of the described system the base of the retainer mayinclude a lower groove and the cover of the retainer may include anupper groove. The upper groove and lower groove may cooperate to formthe channel of the retainer when the cover is in the closed position.

In yet another aspect of the described system, a set of projections maybe disposed adjacent to either the upper groove or lower groove of theretainer, the set of projections extending vertically from the edge ofthe groove. The projections may form an extension of the surface of thegroove to which the projections are disposed, such that the groovesurrounds the axis of the groove through an arc of greater than 180°.This may be used to provide a snap-fit securement between the medicalarticle and the retainer.

Another aspect of a technique in accordance with the system describedherein is a method for releasably securing a medical article to aretainer. This method may include providing a medical article inaccordance with any of the aspects described above, and providing aretainer in accordance with any of the aspects described above. Thecover of the retainer may be placed in the open position, and themedical article attached to the retainer by placing the elongated ortubular region of the medical article into the lower groove of theretainer. The cover of the retainer may then be placed into the closedposition.

In a further aspect of a technique as described herein, the cover may besecured into the closed position by a latching mechanism in accordancewith any of the aspects described herein.

For purposes of summarizing, certain aspects, advantages and novelfeatures have been described herein. It is to be understood that notnecessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with anyparticular embodiment. Thus, the systems described may be embodied orcarried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage orgroup of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving otheradvantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features will now be described withreference to the drawings of the present securement system. The shownembodiments are intended to illustrate, but not to limit the invention.The drawings contain the following figures:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a medicalline securement device in accordance with the disclosure herein;

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of amedical line securement device in accordance with the disclosure herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the retainer of FIG. 1 in anopen condition;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the retainer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the retainer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the retainer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional front view of the retainer of FIG.3 taken through line 6-6;

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional front view of the retainer of FIG.6 as it approaches a closed condition;

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional front view of the retainer of FIG.6 in a closed condition;

FIG. 9A illustrates a perspective view of a connector fitting with aspin nut for use with the retainer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9B illustrates a perspective view of the connector fitting of FIG.9A with the spin nut secured in the forward position and secured to acatheter adaptor;

FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of the connector fitting of FIG.9B in position upon the retainer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of the system of FIG. 10 with theretainer in a closed condition;

FIG. 12 illustrates a perspective view of a catheter adaptor having aradially projecting tab;

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of a retainer of anotherembodiment of a medical line securement device in accordance with thedisclosure herein;

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of the catheter adaptor of FIG.12 in position upon the retainer of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective view of a retainer of yet anotherembodiment of a medical line securement device in accordance with thedisclosure herein;

FIG. 16 illustrates a top view of the retainer of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 illustrates a front view of the retainer of FIG. 15; and

FIG. 18 illustrates a perspective view of retainer of an additionalembodiment of a medical line securement device in accordance with thedisclosure herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description and Figures describing various preferredembodiments are made to demonstrate various configurations of possiblesystems in accordance with the current invention. The embodimentsillustrated are shown in use with a variety of exemplary connectorfittings that can include a spin nut for connection to a catheteradaptor. This is not intended to limit the disclosed concepts to thespecified embodiments or to usage with the illustrated connectorfittings or catheter adaptors only. In addition, various systems will bedescribed in the context of an exemplary securement device incorporatingthe described systems and techniques. Those of skill in the art willrecognize that the techniques described are neither limited to anyparticular type of securement device, nor to the securement of anyparticular type of medical article for every described aspect herein.

To assist in the description of these components of the anchoring system(see FIG. 1), the following coordinate terms are used. A “longitudinalaxis” is generally parallel to the portion of the connector fitting orother medical article retained by the securement system, as well asparallel to the axis of the channel of the retainer. A “lateral axis” isnormal to the longitudinal axis and is generally parallel to the planeof an anchor pad, as seen in FIG. 1. A “transverse axis” extends normalto both the longitudinal and lateral axes. In addition, as used herein,“the longitudinal direction” refers to a direction substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal axis; “the lateral direction” refers to adirection substantially parallel to the lateral axis; and “thetransverse direction” refers to a direction substantially parallel tothe transverse axis. The term “axial” as used herein refers to the axisof a channel or connector fitting, and therefore is substantiallysynonymous with the term “longitudinal” as used herein. The term“radial” refers to any direction which is normal to the axial direction,and may include both the transverse and lateral directions, as well asdirections having both a lateral and a transverse component. Also, theterms “proximal” and “distal”, which are used to describe the presentanchoring system, are used consistently with the description of theexemplary applications. Thus, proximal and distal are used in referenceto the center of the patient's body. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “top,”“bottom,” and the like, which also are used to describe the presentanchoring system, are used in reference to the illustrated orientationof the embodiment.

To facilitate a complete understanding of the invention, the remainderof the detailed description describes the invention with reference tothe Figures, wherein like elements are referenced with like numeralsthroughout.

Overview

Prior to describing particular embodiments of the illustrated medicalline securement systems, a brief overview explaining the majorcomponents of the system and its use will be presented. As shown by theexemplary medical line securement system of FIG. 1, the system cancomprise a securement device 100 in two main components: an anchor pad110 and a retainer 120. As noted above and discussed in greater detailbelow, the securement device 100 can form a component of acatheterization system that also includes one or more medical articles,such as connector fittings, catheter adaptors, fluid supply lines, orother articles suitable for securement via the anchor pad 110 andretainer 120.

The retainer 120 is mounted upon the anchor pad 110 and the anchor padis secured to the skin of a patient, generally by an adhesive disposedupon the bottom surface of the pad. The retainer is configured toreceive a medical article and secure it in position. An exemplaryretainer 120, as shown in FIG. 2, can comprise several sub-components,including a base 130, a cover 140, and a latch 150 for securing thecover of the retainer over the base in a closed condition. Thereleasable engagement of a medical article is achieved, at least inpart, by cooperation between the base 130 and the cover 140 in forming achannel through the retainer 120. Because the cover may be opened afterthe medical article is secured, it is possible for the medical articleto be removed from the securement device 100 for any necessary purpose.This can include purposes such as replacing the securement device,replacing the medical line, or moving the patient. This removal of themedical article from the securement device can be accomplished withoutremoving the device from the patient if desired.

A medical article, for instance the exemplary connector fitting 400illustrated in FIG. 9A, can be held in position through a combination oflateral and transverse pressure along the secured portion of the medicalarticle within a channel of the retainer 120. In the illustratedembodiment of FIG. 9A, the connector fitting 400 includes a spin nut 480that can be used to secure a catheter hub 410 to the connector fitting,as will be discussed in greater detail below.

In general, the retainer 120 can be used to hold the connector fitting400 or the catheter hub 410 at any point along the combination of thetwo. Particular examples will be provided in the description whichfollows. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the retainer 120 generally includes achannel formed between grooves disposed upon the base 130 and the cover140 of the retainer. Pressure is provided by the walls of the channeland the medical article is held within these walls when the retainer'scover is placed in a closed condition. In addition, if the connectorfitting is of a generally rigid nature, a degree of snap fit may beprovided between the retainer and the connector fitting by extending thewalls of the groove in the base of the retainer around the axis of thechannel at least partially through an arc of greater than 180°.

When the cover 140 is secured by the latch 150, the retainer is in aclosed condition, as shown in FIG. 1. In this condition, the medicalarticle is inhibited from moving substantially in either the lateral ortransverse directions. Longitudinal motion of the medical article isinhibited by the positioning of the connector fitting or other articleupon the retainer 120 such that portions of the medical article oflarger radius than at least a portion of the channel are locatedadjacent to portions of the retainer having a smaller radius. This canbe provided in various ways as will be described for each of theillustrated embodiments below.

The securement device 100 also desirably releasably engages theconnector fitting or other medical article. This allows the securementdevice to be disengaged from the connector fitting without removing themedical article from the patient for any of a variety of known purposes.For instance, the healthcare provider may wish to remove the securementdevice in order to change the anchor pad 110 or to clean the insertionsite without removing the catheter and its associated fitting from thepatient. In situations where a catheter is in position in the patientfor an extended period of time, it is advantageous to periodicallychange the securement device in order to maintain the best positionalsecurement of the catheter. For these purposes, it is desirable that thedisengagement of the medical article from the securement device can beaccomplished without removing the medical article from the patient.

Retainer with Channel

One particular embodiment of a medical line securement system will nowbe described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. As shown in FIG. 1, oneembodiment of the securement system 100 comprises a retainer 120 whichis disposed upon an anchor pad 110. The anchor pad 110 desirablycomprises a laminate structure with an upper woven layer and a loweradhesive layer. The upper layer may be polyester or other suitablepolymer or textile materials. One particular suitable material is awoven polyester available commercially under the name “Tricot” fromTyco. The lower adhesive layer constitutes the lower surface 160 of theanchor pad. The lower surface desirably is a medical-grade adhesive andcan be either diaphoretic or nondiaphoretic, depending upon theparticular application. The anchor pad 110 can include suture holes inaddition to the adhesive layer to further secure the anchor pad to thepatient's skin.

In another embodiment, a hydrocolloid adhesive may advantageously beused upon the anchor pad 110 for attaching the anchor pad to the skin ofthe patient. The hydrocolloid adhesive can be used either alone or incombination with another medical grade adhesive (e.g., in combinationwith the adhesive available from Avery Dennison). The hydrocolloidadhesive has less of a tendency to excoriate the skin of a patient whenremoved. This may be particularly important for patients whose skin ismore sensitive or fragile, such as those with a collagen deficiency orother skin related condition.

A surface of the upper foam layer constitutes an upper surface 170 ofthe anchor pad. The upper surface can be roughened by corona-treatingthe foam with a low electric charge. The roughened or porous uppersurface can improve the quality of the adhesive joint (which isdescribed below) between the base 130 and the anchor pad 110. In thealternative, the flexible anchor pad can comprise a medical-gradeadhesive lower layer, an inner foam layer and an upper paper or otherwoven or nonwoven cloth layer.

A removable paper or plastic release liner 180 desirably covers theadhesive lower surface 160 before use. The liner 180 preferably resiststearing and desirably is divided into a plurality of pieces to easeattachment of the pad to a patient's skin. In the illustratedembodiment, the liner 180 is split along a center line 185 of theflexible anchor pad in order to expose only half of the adhesive lowersurface 160 at one time.

The liner length, as measured in the lateral direction, extends beyondthe center line 185 of the anchor pad 110 and is folded over, or backonto the liner. This folded over portion defines a pull tab 190 tofacilitate removal of the liner 180 from the adhesive lower surface 160.A medical attendant uses the pull tab 190 by grasping and pulling on itso that the liner 180 is separated from the lower surface 160. The pulltab 190 overcomes any requirement that the medical attendant pick at acorner edge or other segment of the liner in order to separate the linerfrom the adhesive layer. The pull tab of course can be designed in avariety of configurations. For example, the pull tab can need not belocated along a center line 185 of the anchor pad; rather, the pull tabcan be located along any line of the anchor pad in order to ease theapplication of the anchor pad onto the patients skin at a specific site.For example, an area of a patient's skin with an abrupt bend, such as ata joint, can require that the pull tab be aligned toward one of thelateral ends of the anchor pad rather than along the center line.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the anchor pad 110 also desirably includes apair of opposing concave sections that narrows the center of the anchorpad proximate to the retainer 120. As a result, the lateral sides of theanchor pad have more contact area which provides greater stability andadhesion to a patient's skin. Although only a single shape of anchor padis illustrated in FIG. 1, those of skill in the art will recognize thata variety of shapes may be used in various circumstances in order tomost effectively attach the securement device to a patient. Forinstance, an alternate shape for an anchor pad for use with theembodiment of the retainer described below is shown in FIG. 1A. Throughthe use of such variations in the shape, material, and adhesive of theanchor pad, an appropriate base for anchoring a retainer may be providedfor a variety of locations on the skin of a patient.

Retainer

With reference now to FIGS. 1 to 5, the retainer 120 includes a rigidstructure principally formed by a first portion and a second portionwhich are movably attached so as to define open and closed conditionsfor the retainer 120. In the illustrated embodiment, the first portionis shown as a base 130 of the retainer, while the second portion isshown as a cover 140 (see FIG. 2). As shown in the FIGURES, base 130 andcover 140 are integrally formed to comprise a unitary retainer 120. Thiscan be accomplished in any of a variety of ways well known to thoseskilled in the art. For instance, the entire retainer can be injectionmolded in order to reduce fabrication costs. The base 130 and cover 140,however, can be formed separately and then coupled together.

As mentioned above, the first and second portions together generallycooperate to define an open condition and a closed condition for theretainer 120. In the open condition, the retainer is able to receive amedical article, such as a connector fitting 400 (described below),within a portion of the retainer 120. In the closed condition, theretainer 120 inhibits motion of the received portion of the medicalarticle relative to the retainer 120 as will be further discussed. Therelative motion of the first and second portions of the retainer may beaccomplished by a variety of means, such as pin-and-receiver hinges,flexible connections, rotatable connections, or any of a variety ofother connectors which provide for relative motion between the first andsecond portions of the retainer 120. In the retainer illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, the connection between the first and second portions ofthe retainer 120 is a hinge formed from a flexible connecting piece.

As will be apparent from the below description, several features of theillustrated retainer 120, such as the latch 150 and hinge 200, aredesirably flexible. Suitable rigid but flexible materials include, forexample but without limitation: plastics, polymers or composites such aspolypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyvinylchloride,acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, nylon, olefin, acrylic, polyester, aswell as moldable silicon, thermoplastic urethane, thermoplasticelastomers, thermoset plastics and the like. The illustrated retainer120 preferably is formed by injection molding using polyethylene orpolypropylene material. However, other materials can be utilized, andthe retainer can comprise a non-unitary base and cover.

As is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, one retainer 120 may comprise anelongated body of a generally parallelepiped shape. The illustratedretainer includes a flexible hinge 200 at one lateral end of the body.The hinge 200 joins the base 130 of the retainer to the cover 140. Thebase 120 of the retainer, as illustrated more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3,has a pair of opposing longitudinal sides, and a pair of lateral ends.The hinge 200 is disposed upon one lateral end, and a latch 150 isdisposed upon the other lateral end. The upper side of the base 130faces away from the anchor pad 110 and can desirably comprise a groove210 that extends along the upper surface of the base 130 in alongitudinal direction. The lower side of the base 130 may be attachedto the anchor pad 110 using a variety of means as are known in the art.

As seen in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lower side of the base 130 of theillustrated retainer 120 need not be perfectly flat, and may includecontouring in order to assist in stabilizing the retainer 120 whenplaced on the skin of a patient. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the lowerside 220 of the base may have a concave curved shape when viewed fromthe front along a longitudinal axis. The amount and radius of curvaturemay be varied depending on the expected location of usage or applicationof the securement device 100. Such a curved profile of the lower side220 of the base allows for a closer match between the contour of thebottom of the base and the shape of the body of the patient. It will beappreciated that many common sites for insertion of medical lines whichrequire securement will be located on anatomical regions exhibitingconvex curvature, such as the arms, legs, shoulders, etc. By providing aconcave bottom profile to the base 130 of the retainer 120, the retainerwill rock less once placed upon the patient via the anchor pad 110. Thiswill help prevent the retainer from pulling free from the anchor padalong the edges of the base 130, and also inhibits undesirable rotationof the retainer due to the bottom 220 of the base rolling along the bodyof the patient. For example, the curvature of the base 130 can be sizedto generally match the curvature on a dorsal side of an averagepatient's hand for certain applications.

The bottom 220 of the base may also be angled in the longitudinaldirection, as illustrated in FIG. 5. This angle is used in order toalign the axis of the channel of the retainer with the desired incidentangle with which the medical article is to contact the skin of thepatient. A variety of different angles may be used, ranging from 0° to45°, and more preferably from 5° to 25°. For instance, for thesecurement of arterial catheters, it is desirable for the angle ofincidence of the catheter to the skin of the patient to be about 12.5°.For the securement of intravenous catheters, it is desirable for theangle of incident of the catheter to the skin of the patient to be about7° to 15°. By angling the bottom 220 of the base 130 at the desiredangle, which will depend upon the particular securement application(e.g., securing an arterial catheter, an intravenous catheter, etc.),the proper angle of incidence for a catheter can be maintained.

The interior of the base 130 need not be completely solid. As shown inFIGS. 4 and 6, indentations and other empty regions or voids may beincluded on the bottom 220 of the base for a variety of reasons. Forinstance, certain indentations required by the manufacturing process maybe located on the bottom 220 of the base in order to avoid exposingthese indentations during use of the retainer. Those of skill in the artwill recognize that these indentations need not be used, but may beincluded for reasons including but not limited to, lightening of theoverall retainer structure, adding flexibility to the retainer, orproviding a more advantageous surface for attachment between the baseand the anchor pad.

It is advantageous for the longitudinal dimension of the base 130 to besufficiently long to provide stability to the retained portion of themedical article along its length. In this way, the longitudinal lengthof the retained portion of the medical article is sufficient to inhibitthe rocking of the medical article within the retainer 120. Also, thelateral dimension of the base 130 of the retainer desirably allows thehealthcare provider to easily and naturally grip the base and alsoprovides space on which to locate a hinge 200 and a portion of the latch150.

In the shown embodiment, a longitudinal groove 210 is formed on the base130, which extends from one longitudinal side of the base to the other.As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, this lower groove 210 has a generallysemi-circular cross-sectional shape of constant radius. The size (i.e.,radius) of the groove 210 may be chosen to match or approximate the sizeof various standard connector fittings, adaptors (e.g., catheter hubs)or other medical articles. By matching the size of the groove 210 to theexternal radius of the secured portion of a medical article, a moreeffective securement may be achieved. In addition or in the alternative,effective securement can also be achieved by the engagement ofstructures on the retainer and the medical article when the cover isclosed. In other alternatives, securement may be achieved by theinteraction of the shapes of the retainer and the secured medicalarticle. Each of these approaches will be discussed in greater detailbelow.

The axis of the groove 210 in the illustrated retainer 120 lies parallelto the plane of the upper surface of the base 130. Although thisconfiguration may be advantageous for securing particular medicalarticles, those of skill in the art will recognize that the axis of thegroove 210 may be disposed at an angle relative to the upper surface ofthe base of the retainer for particular applications. For instance, thedesired angle between the medical article and the patient could becreated by angling the axis of the groove 210. In such cases, the bottom220 of the base could remain roughly parallel to the surface of thepatient's skin and the channel 250 formed by the groove could simplypass through the retainer at an angle relative to the patient.

The base 130 of the illustrated retainer 120 is attached to the uppersurface 170 of the anchor pad 110, as is shown in FIG. 1. The base isdesirably secured to the upper surface of the pad by a solvent bondadhesive, such as cyanoacrylate or other bonding material. One suchadhesive is available commercially as Part No. 4693 from the MinnesotaMining and Manufacturing Company (now 3M).

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cover 140 of the illustratedretainer 120 has an elongate shape which desirably is substantiallycoextensive with the planar size and shape of the base 130 of theretainer 120. However, the cover need not be precisely the same size orshape as the base. For instance, the cover can be sized to extend beyondany of the lateral, transverse, or longitudinal edges of the base. Thecover may also be sized so as to not extend to a particular lateral,transverse, or longitudinal edge of the base. The cover can also includea skirt or flange that extends over and/or about the base or any portionthereof. Such a flange or skirt may be advantageous in assisting in thehandling of the retainer 120 by medical personnel, particularly whilewearing gloves.

The cover 140 desirably has a sufficient size to cover the lower groove210 in the base 130 and to accommodate a portion of the latch 150 andthe hinge 200 which operate between the base 130 and the cover 140, asdescribed below. The cover also desirably is of a dimension thatprovides for easy manipulation. For example, the cover's size easilyaccommodates the grasp of a medical attendant.

An upper groove 230 is formed on an inner side of the cover 140corresponding generally in lateral position to the lower groove 210formed in the base 130. In this way, when the cover of the retainer ismoved over the base to establish the closed condition, the upper groove230 and the lower groove 210 cooperate to form a channel 250 through theretainer 120 in a longitudinal direction. In the illustrated embodiment,the upper groove 230 generally has a semi-circular cross-sectional shapeof the same radius as that of the lower groove 210; however, in someapplications, the grooves 210, 230 can have differing radii ofcurvature.

The cover 140 is movably coupled to the base 130 by way of a flexiblecoupling or hinge 200. The hinge in the illustrated embodiment desirablycomprises a flexible band that can take any number of forms tomechanically connect the cover to the base while permitting pivotalmovement of the cover relative to the base so as to enable engagement ordisengagement of these parts, as described below. It is this relativemotion that is used to establish the open and closed conditions of theretainer. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge is formed of flexiblematerial, desirably of the same material from which the base and coverare comprised. Advantageously, the hinge is integrally molded with thebase and the cover to form a unitary member, as noted above. The hingeis located at an outer edge of the base and the cover; however, thehinge need not be laterally located at an extreme end of the base orcover.

As best understood from FIG. 3, the width of the hinge 200 of theillustrated design, measured in the longitudinal direction, is desirablyless than that of either the base 130 or the cover 140 to allow someleeway or play when engaging or disengaging the cover to the base. Thatis, this shape allows the hinge to twist to some degree to compensatefor some manufacturing tolerances; however, the hinge can have at leastas large of a longitudinal dimension as the base and the cover.

The hinge 200 is integrally formed along a common exterior surface ofthe cover and the base in the illustrated embodiment. The hingegenerally has a U-shape when the cover is closed, and extends from boththe base 130 and the cover 140 in the lateral direction to the side ofthe retainer. A gap, corresponding to a transverse height of the hinge200, exists between the base and cover (see FIG. 7). This gap, however,can be reduced or eliminated from the retainer for some applications byusing a different hinge design.

The hinge generally provides for relative motion between the first andsecond portion of the retainer. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge200 enables the cover 140 to move relative to the base 130 to establishan open condition and a closed condition for the retainer 120. In theopen condition, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the retainer ischaracterized by the exposure of the grooves 210, 230 in the base 130and the cover 140 in the transverse direction. This is accomplished byspacing apart the base and the cover. In an open condition, the retainer120 is capable of receiving a portion of a connector fitting or othermedical article as described below. In a closed condition, asillustrated in FIG. 1, the retainer of the illustrated design ischaracterized by the cover 140 lying in contact or near contact with thebase 130 so as to position the upper groove 230 above the lower groove210. In this condition, the retainer 120 surrounds the received portionof the medical article and secures it within the channel 250 of theretainer.

The hinge 200 need not provide 180° of relative movement of the cover140 and the base 130 to establish the closed and open conditions. Forinstance, the hinge can permit a smaller degree of movement (e.g., 90°)between the base and the cover while still providing enough space totransversely insert a portion of the medical article into the lowergroove 210 of the retainer 120. Such a condition is still an opencondition which can provide the necessary features discussed herein.

The grooves 210, 230 formed in the base 130 and the cover 140 of theretainer 120 define a channel 250 when the illustrated retainer isclosed. As shown the channel 250 is capable of receiving a portion orlength of the medical article and is generally configured to house, topreferably grip, and to secure this portion of the medical article. Thechannel can have a variety of configurations (e.g., tapered), asdiscussed above in connection with the grooves, in order to accommodatea particular medical article. For instance, the channel may have sideswhich are substantially straight and maintain a constant cross sectionalong the longitudinal length of the channel. The channel may also beconfigured to have a tapered cross section such that the overall widthof the channel is smaller at one longitudinal end than the other. Thetapering may be at a constant rate along the length of the channel, ormay occur only along certain portions of the length of the channel. Thechannel may also include either radial slots, providing regions ofgreater radius within the channel, or annular collars or reliefs,providing regions of smaller radius along the length of the channel. Thechannel may also taper along a curved profile, for instance, tapering toa smaller radius in the middle of the channel and then expanding againalong the length of the channel.

These features may be used singly or in combination. In each case, thechannel will be configured to receive and retain a portion of themedical article as described above. For instance, this can beaccomplished by having the cross-sectional shape be substantiallysimilar to at least a portion of the outer cross-sectional shape of theretained portion of the medical article. In addition, the size of thecross section of the channel will be chosen to fit within the overalltransverse and lateral dimensions of the retainer. The operation of thechannel to retain a medical article will be discussed further below.

In the illustrated embodiment, the channel generally has circularcross-sectional shape and a constant radius along its length. This canbe seen in FIG. 8. Although the channel 250 can be formed in variousshapes depending upon the desired application (i.e., depending upon ashape of the retained portion of the medical article for which theretainer is designed to be used), the channel 250 desirably has asufficient length in the longitudinal direction to stabilize theconnector fitting or other medical article, rather than act as a fulcrumfor the fitting, as mentioned above. That is, the retainer 120 receivesa sufficient length of the fitting to inhibit movement of the fitting inthe lateral, longitudinal and transverse direction (i.e., to inhibityaw, pitch and axial movement of the article).

When the cover 140 establishes a closed condition for the retainer, asection of the medical article is captured within the retainer 120, asshown in FIG. 11. Thus, the retainer at least restricts, if notprevents, lateral and transverse movement of the retained section of themedical article.

As shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 4, the retainer 120 may optionallycomprise one or more projections 260 which extend from the base 130 orcover 140 of the retainer in order to more firmly grip the retainedportion of the medical article. In the illustrated embodiment, four suchprojections 260 are disposed upon the upper surface of the base 130adjacent to the lower groove 210. Two projections are disposed on eachlateral side of the groove 210. These projections 260 extend above theupper surface of the base 130 and may have a generally fin-shaped crosssection, as seen in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2-8, the projections 260 have a lateral outer face 165disposed away from the groove 210, an inner surface 270 which forms acontinuation of the surface of the groove 210, and two longitudinalfaces which are generally vertical. Because the inner surface 270 ofeach projection 260 forms an extension of the surface of the lowergroove 210, this groove is effectively extended beyond the upper surfaceof the base 130. As is most clearly illustrated in FIG. 4, theprojections 260 can be used to effectively extend the lower groove 210around the axis of the groove through an arc of greater than 180°,preferably about 200°.

By providing such optional projections 260 and their extensions to thelower groove 210, a snap-fit securement may be achieved between thelower groove 210 on the base 130 and the secured portion of the medicalarticle, even while an open condition of the retainer is maintained. Aswill be discussed in greater detail below, if the diameter of theretained portion of the medical article is greater than the size of thelateral clearance L, shown in FIG. 4, between the opposing projections260, then the medical article will be held within the lower groove 210by the operation of the projections 260 and groove 210. In this way, themedical article may be placed in position prior to moving the cover 140to establish the closed condition of the retainer 120 without concernthat the medical article will shift while the medical practitioner isclosing the cover of the retainer over the medical article.

A set of corresponding recesses 280 may be disposed upon the retainer120 in order to provide a space for the projections 260 when the cover140 is closed over the base 130. In the illustrated embodiment, thereare four such recesses 280 disposed upon the cover 140 of the retainerin positions which correspond to the locations occupied by theprojections 260 when the cover is closed. Those of skill in the art willrecognize that although the illustrated embodiment makes use of fourprojections disposed upon the base and three recesses disposed upon thecover, that other numbers of projections or locations for theprojections may be used in alternate embodiments. For instance, twoprojections disposed to one side of the groove 210 may be used, withonly a single projection to the opposite side of the groove. Theprojections may also be disposed upon the cover, and the correspondingrecesses on the base. It is also possible to disposed projections onboth the base and the cover, so long as appropriate recesses are placedat the complementary locations for each projection. These variations donot change the operation of the projections. In these ways, theprojections may be used to surround the channel through an arc greaterthan 180° for the upper groove 230, as either an alternate or additionalsecurement to the illustrated projections disposed around the lowergroove 210.

In addition to the projections 260 and recesses 280 described above, oneor more protrusion 290 and receptacle 300 pairs may also be disposedupon the first and second portions of the retainer. In the illustratedembodiment, the protrusions 290 are disposed upon the cover 140 of theretainer, and the receptacles 300 are disposed upon the base 130;however, the arrangement of the protrusions 290 and receptacles 300 onthe cover and base can be reversed. As illustrated, each protrusion isdisposed on the side of the cover nearer to the hinge 200 and thecorresponding receptacles 300 are disposed upon the base in a positionto receive at least a portion of the protrusion 290 when a closedcondition is established. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair ofprotrusions and a corresponding pair of receptacles are used. However,any number of protrusions and receptacles may be used, and theirdisposition between the first and second portions of the retainer may bereversed or mixed as described above with regard to the projections andrecesses.

When the cover 140 of the retainer is moved in order to latch theretainer in a closed condition, the protrusion 290 will move into thereceptacle 300 on the base. This interengagement between the protrusionand the receptacle helps inhibit any twisting which may be imposed uponthe cover relative to the base and also helps to align the latchcomponents as will be discussed below.

In the illustrated embodiment, the receptacle 300 has a smallertransverse dimension than the transverse dimension of the protrusion290. As a result, the protrusion prevents the cover 140 from moving intoa position in which the cover lies completely flush upon the base 130.The protrusion provides a force which tends to push the cover away fromthe base. This force preferably is sufficiently large to assist thecover in popping open when the latch is released. This will be discussedin greater detail below.

Latch

In order to secure the first portion of the retainer relative to thesecond portion to establish a closed condition, some sort of latchingmechanism can be provided to hold the first and second portionstogether. A variety of latching mechanisms are possible. The latchingmechanism may be disposed partially on the base and partially on thecover, or entirely on one or the other component. It can be integrallyformed with the retainer, or may be separate components which are formedseparately and attached to the retainer. In the illustrated embodiment,the mechanism used to hold the cover 140 of the retainer in positionabove the base 130 for a closed condition (as shown in FIG. 1) is alatch 150 comprising interengaging structure disposed upon the cover 140and base 130 of the retainer 120.

As shown in FIG. 2, the latch 150 is disposed primarily upon the cover140 of the retainer, while appropriate receiver openings 310 into whicha portion of the latch 150 are engaged are disposed upon the base 130 ofthe retainer. This particular geometry is formed integrally with theillustrated retainer 120. As seen most clearly in FIG. 2, theillustrated latch 150 comprises several components which are formedtoward one lateral side of the cover 140. This latch 150 comprises anarm 320, an actuator bar 330, and a button 340.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, the arm 320 of the latch 150 is connected tothe cover 140 of the retainer near the end of one lateral side of theretainer 120. This connection region is desirably somewhat flexible inorder for the latch 150 to be movable relative to the cover 140. The arm320 extends away from the connection to the cover, and is topped by apair of tangs 350. Each tang 350 is disposed upon one longitudinal endof the arm 320 and extends transversely upward above the top of the arm(when the retainer has an open condition, as illustrated in FIGS. 2-5).Each tang 350 ends in a rounded hook 360 which includes a portion whichcurves laterally away from the channel 250 of the retainer. Desirably,the upper end of the tangs 350 are relatively blunt and smooth toprevent them from puncturing the gloves or skin of a healthcare provideror catching on other materials.

The actuator bar 330 is a lateral extension from the arm 320 whichconnects the arm 320 to the button 340. The button 340 may comprise aplate or other appropriate surface disposed roughly parallel to the arm320 of the latch 150. The length of the actuator bar 330 allows thebutton 340 to be disposed at a lateral position which is beyond thelateral extent of the base 130 and cover 140 of the retainer when aclosed condition is established. This may be advantageous in that thebutton 340 may be manipulated by a medical practitioner more easily ifit protrudes beyond the lateral edge of the retainer 120, eliminatingthe need for precise positioning or pressure when releasing the latch150, as will be described below.

When inward lateral pressure is exerted upon the button 340 of the latch150 when the retainer is in a closed condition, the force is transferredfrom the button 340 to the actuator bar 330 and to the arm 320. The arm320 will rotate about its connection to the cover 140, causing theentire latch 150 to flex inwardly toward the channel 250 of the retainer120. As can be seen in FIGS. 6-8, as the latch 150 moves inwardly, thetangs 350 are deflected laterally toward the channel of the retainer.

In the illustrated latch, the button 340 is disposed with an angledouter surface such that this surface slopes inwardly from top to bottom(in a closed condition). Such positioning may be advantageous inminimizing unintentional disengagement of the latch 150 due to downwardpressure from above upon the button 340.

In order to interoperate with the latch 150, appropriate receiveropenings 310 for the tangs 350 are disposed upon the base 130 of theretainer. As seen in FIG. 2, the receiver openings 310 may compriseopenings disposed upon the base 130. In the illustrated embodiment,these receiver openings 310 extend through the entire transversethickness of the base 130, forming holes through the base. Those ofskill in the art will recognize that the openings need not extendentirely through the cover in alternate embodiments making use ofappropriately sized tangs.

The positioning of the receiver openings 310 upon the base is desirablysuch that they lie in a position beneath the tangs 350 of the latch whenthe cover 140 is moved over the base 130 in a closed condition (see FIG.7). In the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal position of thereceiver openings 310 is also roughly the same as the longitudinalposition of the recesses 280 corresponding to the projections 260, asdescribed above. Such an arrangement may simplify manufacturing of theretainer, but it will be understood that such positioning is notrequired. However, it is desirable that the recesses 280 for theprojections 260 correspond to the positioning of the projections andthat the openings 310 for the tangs 350 correspond to the positioning ofthe tangs.

As seen most clearly in FIGS. 6-8 the receiver openings 310 may furthercomprise a shelf 370, disposed within the opening. The shelf 370 may beangled slightly so that the upper surface of the shelf (when the coveris in the closed position as in FIG. 8) angles upwardly as it extendstoward the channel 250 of the retainer. The hook 360 of the tang 350 ofthe latch 150 will rest upon the shelf 370 of the receiver opening 310in order to secure the cover 140 in position upon the base 130 of theretainer 120.

As can be seen in the cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 6-8, thecover 140 may be pressed down onto the base 130 of the retainer in orderto secure the cover in the closed position (illustrated in FIG. 8). Whenin the open position, as shown in FIG. 6, the retainer 120 is suitablefor the insertion or removal of a portion of the medical article fromthe groove 210 of the base of the retainer. As the cover 140 is rotatedabout the hinge 200, it will eventually move into the positionillustrated in FIG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 7, the protrusions 290 on the cover 140 of the retainerwill move into the receptacles 300 on the base 130 of the retainer. Asdiscussed above, the transverse depth of each receptacle 300 maydesirably be less than the transverse extent of each protrusion 290.When the protrusion is fully within the receptacle, the protrusionbecomes a fulcrum for rotation of the cover 140 relative to the base130. Once this happens, the hinge 200 continues to flex, but thecombination of the tension in the hinge 200 and the compression of theprotrusion 290 into the receptacle 300 creates a force which tends torotate the cover 140 of the retainer toward the open position.

Desirably, the upper surface of the shelf 370 may be angled such thatwhen the cover 140 of the retainer is pressed down over the base 130,that the pressure from the underside of the shelf 370 upon the surfaceof the hooks 360 of the tangs 350 will cause the latch 150 to deflectinwardly toward the channel 250 of the retainer without the need forpressure upon the button 340. This is shown in FIG. 7.

As the cover 140 is pressed further down, the hook 360 of the tang 350of the latch 150 will move below the shelf 370 of the receiver opening310 on the base. At this point, the arm 320 will return toward itsoriginal more laterally disposed position, moving the hook 360 of thetang 350 over the shelf 370 of the opening 310. This configuration isillustrated in FIG. 8. Once in this position, the cover 140 is held downover the base 130 due to the contact between the shelf 370 and the hook360, and the latch 150 is popped laterally outward, holding the hook 360of the tang 350 in position upon the shelf 370.

In order to release the cover 140 from the closed position, a medicalpractitioner need only press laterally inward on the button 340 of thelatch 150. This pressure, as discussed above, will result in the latch150 deflecting toward the channel 250 of the retainer 120. As the latch150 deflects inwardly, the hooks 360 of the tangs 350 of the latch aremoved off of the shelf 370 of the receiver openings 310 in the cover(see FIG. 7).

Once the hooks 360 and shelf 370 are no longer engaged with one another,the compression of the protrusion 290 into the receptacle 300 on thebase 130 will tend to push the cover 140 at least partially away fromthe base of the retainer. This allows for the retainer to be moved to anopen condition without the need for a medical practitioner to pull up onthe cover after the latch 150 is released from the receiver openings310. This is the reverse of the process described above for closing theretainer.

The cover 140 may be secured into the closed position and released asoften as necessary to allow for appropriate medical care. For instance,this allows for repeated attachment and reattachment of the medicalarticle to the securement device 100. In addition, the hinge 200connecting the cover 140 to the base 130 ensures that the cover will notbe lost or misplaced in the process of attaching or detaching a medicalarticle from the securement device. The medical practitioner wastes notime in searching for a cover, nor in orienting the cover prior tolatching.

Connector Fitting

As discussed above, the connector fitting can be any portion of amedical article which is appropriate to attachment to a patient via thedescribed securement devices. Most will include at least one elongatedportion, and one or more regions of larger radius than the elongatedportion. One exemplary medical article for use with the embodiment ofthe securement device described above will now be described withreference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. FIG. 9A illustrates a connector fitting400 and an adaptor 410 for a catheter or similar medical device. Theconnector fitting 400 is preferably disposed upon the end of a medicalline 420 which may be connected to a drip bag, blood monitor, or otherfluid related medical apparatus.

The adaptor 410 includes a body that, in the illustrated embodiment, isconfigured as a catheter hub and tapers from a large radius to a smallerradius along its length. Although the illustrated adaptor has agenerally constant taper so as to form a conical shape, those of skillin the art will recognize that the adaptor can have other shapes withoutaltering the nature of the fundamental invention. For instance, theadaptor may have a body with a curved taper profile, or with a step-wisechange in radius along the length of the adaptor body. The adaptor bodycan also include tabs or other protruding elements suitable forimproving the grip of a medical practitioner on the adaptor.

The adaptor 410 also can include an external screw thread 430 on theoutside of the conical body near the end with the larger radius. Thescrew thread 430 can be used in association with a spin nut (describedbelow) of the connector fitting in order to securely interconnect theconnector fitting and the adaptor.

The connector fitting 400 comprises an elongated body 440 which isattached to the end of a medical line 420. The connector fitting 400also comprises a portion which is desirably tapered along at least partof its longitudinal length so as to allow the end of this region to fitwithin the tapered conical portion of the adaptor 410. The taperedportion 450 of the connector fitting 400 also preferably includes acentrally disposed lumen which communicates with the lumen of themedical line. When the connector fitting 400 is inserted into theadaptor 410, the lumen of the connector fitting is disposed in fluidcommunication with the lumen of the adaptor. This provides fluidcommunication between the medical line 420 and the patient.

As seen in FIG. 9A, the connector fitting 400 can also have at least oneradially extending member 460 disposed upon an end of the elongated body440 of the fitting opposite the tapered end 450. As shown in the FIGURE,it may be advantageous for the radially extending member 460 to extendcompletely around the circumference of the connector fitting 400. Asecond radially extending member 470 may also be disposed upon theelongated body 400, as may additional radial members (not shown). Thoseof skill in the art will recognize that the radially extending member ormembers need not have any particular shape or longitudinal thickness.Additionally, the radially extending members need not have the sameshape. For instance, the first radially extending member 460 can havethe hexagonal shape illustrated and the second radially extending member470 can have a circular shape.

A spin nut 480 is disposed upon the connector fitting 400 around theelongated body 440 of the fitting. The spin nut 480 is substantiallycylindrical in form and is able to move upon the connector fitting 400.The spin nut 480 is capable of both rotational motion around the axis ofthe connector fitting and axial motion in both the proximal and distaldirections along the length of the elongated body 440 of the fitting.The spin nut 480 also includes internal screw threads 490 which areillustrated with phantom lines in FIG. 9A.

As shown in FIG. 9B, when the tapered end 450 of the connector fittingis inserted into the wide end of the adaptor 410, the spin nut 480 maybe moved toward the tapered end 450 of the connector fitting 400 andtwisted so as to engage the screw thread 490 of the spin nut with thescrew thread 430 of the adaptor 410 and lock the connector fitting 400to the adaptor 410. Note that because the securement device 100described above will be used to attach to the elongated tubular portion440 of the connector fitting 400, there is no need to use a connectorfitting which includes wings or suture holes.

Additional details not necessary to repeat here are disclosed inassignee's co-pending application entitled MEDICAL DEVICE CONNECTORFITTING, application Ser. No. 09/767,207, filed on Jan. 22, 2001, theentirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Operation

As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, medical personnel can secure aconnector fitting 400 (or other medical article) to a patient using theabove-described securement device 100 or a readily apparent modificationthereof. The medical practitioner first opens the retainer 120 to exposethe lower groove 210 on the base 130. When the retainer 120 is in theopen condition, the connector fitting 400 or other medical article canbe aligned over the groove 210. The connector fitting 400 can then bepressed into the groove on the base. If the connector fitting 400 has adiameter greater than L (shown in FIG. 4) and less than the diameter ofthe groove 210, the projections 260 will create a snap-fit between theconnector fitting 400 and the base 130. This configuration is shown inFIG. 10.

Note that prior to the engagement of the connector fitting 400 to theretainer 120, it may be desirable for a medical practitioner to confirmthat the spin nut 480 of the connector fitting is moved in thelongitudinal direction toward the catheter adaptor 410, as shown in FIG.9B. In this position, the elongated tubular body 440 of the connectorfitting 400 which is located between the spin nut 480 and the radiallyextending member 460 is available for insertion into the groove 210 ofthe base of the retainer.

Furthermore, because the spin nut 480 and radially extending members460, 470 have a greater radius than the tubular body 440 of theconnector fitting and the lower groove 210, the spin nut and radialmember will not slide into or through the groove of the base. In thisway, the spin nut 480 and radial member 460 form extensions whichinhibit the longitudinal migration of the connector fitting 400 ineither direction through the channel 250 of the retainer.

Once the connector fitting 400 or other medical article is in positionupon the base 130 of the retainer, the cover 140 may be moved over thebase of the retainer and latched into a closed condition as describedabove and shown in FIG. 11. In this position, the openings 310 on thebase 130 are engaged with the tangs 350 of the latch 150 on the cover140. Once in this closed condition, the retainer 120 surrounds theelongated body 440 of the connector fitting 400 or other medical articlelying within the channel 250. This inhibits any transverse or lateralmotion of the medical article relative to the retainer. Longitudinalmotion of the medical article is inhibited by the portions of themedical article which are of larger radius than the channel as describedabove. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the radiallyextending member 460 and the spin nut 480 are desirably unable to passthrough the channel of the retainer.

In order to minimize the degree of longitudinal movement of the catheterfitting 400, the longitudinal length of the channel 250 of theillustrated retainer generally matches the received length of thecatheter fitting 400 that extends between the spin nut 480 and theradially extending member 460 with the spin nut 480 fully threaded ontothe catheter adaptor 410. Some play, however, is desirably provided inorder to permit the catheter fining 400 to be inserted into the retainereven if the spin nut is not fully threaded onto the catheter adaptor410.

The retainer 120, being attached to the anchor pad as described above,may be positioned and secured on the patient near the securement sitefor the medical article either before or after the placement of themedical article into the retainer. In many cases it will be desirablefor the medical practitioner to attach the anchor pad 110 and retainer120 to the patient prior to securing the medical article. It should alsobe noted that because the retainer 120 may have an angled bottom 220,the lower side of the securement device 100 should be located toward theinsertion site on the patient in order to properly angle the channeltoward the skin of the patient and not away from the skin of thepatient.

The medical practitioner may first remove one portion of the releaseliner 180 from the anchor pad 110 by gripping the pull tab 190 andpulling the liner 180 away from the lower surface 160 of the anchor pad110. This exposes the adhesive layer of the anchor pad, which may thenbe applied to the skin of the patient near the site where the medicalpractitioner desires to secure the connector fitting 400 or othermedical article. The remainder of the release liner 180 may then beremoved and the securement device 100 fully attached to the skin of thepatient. At this time, the cover 140 of the retainer may be opened andthe connector fitting 400 secured to the retainer 120 as describedabove.

To release the medical article from the retainer, the medicalpractitioner presses laterally upon the button 340 of the latch 150,releasing the tangs 350 from the openings 310 of the base 130, andcausing the cover to pop slightly open. The cover may then be fullyopened and the medical article removed from the lower groove 210 on thebase of the retainer, if desired. Medical articles may be inserted andremoved from the same securement device repeatedly using the describedsystem.

For example, if a particular catheter is being changed, the firstcatheter may be released from the securement device, and then the secondcatheter secured to the same device without ever removing the retainerand anchor pad from the skin of the patient. Similarly, if the samecatheter is to be used, but a different medical line is to be connected,the medical practitioner may release the first connector fitting fromthe retainer, separate the connector fitting from the catheter adaptor,and then connect the connector fitting belonging to the new medical lineto the same catheter adaptor. This new catheter adaptor may now besecured to the retainer as described above.

Another usage of the described embodiments may involve keeping the samemedical line, but changing the securement device. This may beadvantageous in order to move the site at which the adhesive of theanchor pad is attached to the skin of the patient or to clean the areanear the securement site. In these cases, the medical line may beremoved from a first securement device attached to a patient, the firstsecurement device removed from the patient, any necessary cleaning ortreatment of the skin performed, a second securement device positionedupon the patient, and then the medical line secured to the secondsecurement device.

Slotted Retainer

An additional embodiment of a medical line securement device having aretainer including slots along the length of the channel will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 12-14. Except as otherwise noted, theabove description of the retainer, the connector fitting, and theoperation of the retainer upon the connector fitting or other medicalarticle will apply. Throughout this description, the use of a referencenumber also used in the above description will indicate an elementsubstantially as already described above.

As illustrated in FIGS. 12-14, the alternate retainer shown can includeslots in addition to the features described above. This may beadvantageous when securing medical articles which include radiallyextending regions which are not separated sufficiently to allow entirechannel of the retainer to grip the medical article between the radiallyextending regions. In addition, such a retainer may be used to securemedical articles in which there is only a single radially extendingregion.

One example of a medical article suitable for securement using thisembodiment of the retainer is shown in FIG. 12. This medical article isa catheter hub 500, which is formed from a tapering body section 510. Ingeneral configuration, such a catheter hub 500 may be similar to thecatheter hub 410 shown in FIG. 9A and described above. However, as canbe seen in FIG. 12, an additional radially projecting element, such as alateral tab 520 is disposed at a position along the length of the body510 of the hub. This tab 520 can allow a medical practitioner to moreeasily apply longitudinal pressure to the catheter adaptor while workingwith it.

In the illustrated system, the tab 520, also sometimes known as a ‘pushpad’ or ‘push tab’, has substantially the same lateral width as theportion of the catheter adaptor 500 from which it extends. If desired,the tab 520 can be configured to be wider than the body 510 of theadaptor in order to provide a larger push surface. It will also beunderstood that it may be desirable to place a plurality of suchradially projecting elements upon the a catheter hub for a variety ofreasons. Such additional tabs may extend in different directions, or maybe placed at different longitudinal positions along the length of thecatheter adaptor.

Although the radially projecting element illustrated in FIG. 12 is atab, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that theprojecting element may take alternate forms as well. For instance, theradial projecting element may comprise an annular ring or collar thatextends around the body section 510 of the adaptor 500.

The catheter adaptor 500 of FIG. 12 may also desirably include anexternal screw thread 530, as described above with respect to thecatheter adaptor of FIGS. 9A and 9B. This screw thread 530 allows theadaptor 500 to be joined to a connector fitting or other medical articlevia a spin nut in substantially the same manner as described above.

FIG. 13 illustrates a retainer 550 for use with a catheter adaptor 500as described above. Although certain features of the retainer 550 arespecifically configured for use with an adaptor 500 as illustrated inFIG. 12, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that such aretainer may be used with other adaptors or medical lines as well.

As shown in FIG. 13, the general structure of the retainer 550 issimilar to that of the retainer 120 as described above with reference toFIGS. 2-8. The retainer 550 comprises a base 130, cover 140, latch 150,hinge 200, and lower and upper grooves 210, 230. These are substantiallyas described above.

In addition, the retainer 550 of FIG. 13 also includes one or more slots560 which may be disposed upon the lower or upper grooves 210, 230.These slots 560 may extend circumferentially about the axis of thechannel 250 formed by the grooves 210, 230 when the cover of theretainer 550 is in the closed position. Each slot has a longitudinallength sufficient to accept a radially projecting element of theretained medical article. In particular, it may be desirable for thelongitudinal length of each slot to be sufficient to receive the tab 520of a catheter adaptor 500 as described above. Each slot 560 alsodesirably has a radial extent sufficient for the tab 520 of the adaptor500 to be received regardless of the rotation of the adaptor about itsaxis. In other words, the slot 560 may receive the tab 520 whether thetab is pointing up, down, to either side, or at any other angle aboutthe axis of the adaptor.

As shown in FIG. 13, these slots 560 may be substantially annular inform. However, those of skill in the art will recognize that each slotneed not have identical radial extent, and that the radial extent ofeach slot need not be uniform about the axis of the channel 250. Inaddition, each slot need not circumscribe the channel 250 entirely. Forinstance, slots may be disposed upon the base 130 of the retainer 550,but not upon the cover 140. Such an arrangement will not supportcapturing the tab 520 of the adaptor 500 in as many radial positions,but may be desirable for certain applications.

In the illustrated design, three annular slots 560 are disposed upon thelower and upper grooves 210, 230. In order for each slot 560 to properlyreceive a radially projecting element from the retained portion of themedical article, the longitudinal extent of each slot 560 may preferablybe about 0.005 of an inch larger than the projecting element. Such anarrangement may be desirable to minimize longitudinal movement of theretained portion (e.g., the tab 520), of the medical article.

FIG. 14 illustrates a catheter adaptor 500 placed within the retainer550. As can be seen, the tab 520 of the adaptor 500 lies within one ofthe slots 560 of the retainer 550. In addition, the body 510 of theadaptor 500 generally lies within the lower groove 210 of the retainer.When the cover 140 of the retainer 550 is moved over the base 130 suchthat the retainer is in the closed condition, the body 510 of theadaptor 500 will lie within the channel 250 of the retainer 550, and thelongitudinal walls of the slot 560 will inhibit axial migration of theadaptor 500 through the channel 250 of the retainer 550.

In addition, if used with a connector fitting 400 in which a portion ofthe connector fitting, such as the spin nut 480, has a greater radialsize than the size of the channel 250 of the retainer 550, the spin nut480 will inhibit axial motion in one direction through the channel 250of the retainer as well.

The edges of each slot 560 may also desirably be chamfered so as to easethe insertion of a radially projecting element into any slot 560. Byhaving the edges of each slot chamfered, it becomes possible to move aprojecting element into a slot even if the initial alignment between thecenter of the slot and the center of the projecting element is notperfect. The use of chamfered edges on the slots 560, as well as thepresence of slots located at multiple longitudinal positions along thelength of the channel 250 allow for a medical article to be placed overthe lower groove 210 of the retainer 550 with only coarse alignment withthe axis of the groove 210 and then to move into an appropriate slot 560within the retainer as the medical article is pressed down into theretainer 550 from above.

These features help make the use of the retainer less techniquesensitive and thereby allow the healthcare provider to more easilyinsert the medical article into the retainer quickly and effectively.These multiple slot positions can also provide different insertionlocations to accommodate the various ways a connector fitting and acatheter adaptor may be joined.

For example, in some applications such as with intravenouscatheterization of neonates, a healthcare provider may not engage thespin nut 480 with the adaptor 500. As such, the distance between theradially extending tab 520 and the spin nut 480 will differ from whenthe spin nut 480 is threaded onto the catheter adaptor 500 fully.Another possible benefit of multiple slots 560 being disposed along thechannel is that this can allow the retainer to receive medical articleswhich include a plurality of radially projecting elements. For example,if the catheter adaptor 500 or connector fitting 400 has a plurality ofannular rings, this portion of the medical line may be secured by anappropriately sized retainer 550 in accordance with the embodimentsillustrated herein.

As shown in FIG. 13, the lower and upper grooves 210, 230 of theretainer 550 may also include a tapered region 570. As discussed above,such a tapered region may provide a more secure fit between a medicalarticle having a similar shape and the retainer 550. In addition, thistapered region 570 may prevent migration of a tapering medical articlethrough the retainer in at least one direction because the largerportions of the medical article are inhibited from moving through thesmaller opening at the tapered end of the channel 250. It will beunderstood that the use of slots upon a retainer does not require theuse of a tapered region.

Retainer with Compressible Member

Another design for a medical line securement device is illustrated inFIGS. 15-17 and described herein. This retainer is as is described abovewith respect to the retainer of FIG. 2-8, with the exception of having atapered channel cross-section made of a compressible material, andhaving the latch positioned on the base instead of the cover of theretainer. Except as otherwise noted, the above description of theretainer, the connector fitting, and the operation of the retainer uponthe connector fitting or other medical article will apply.

In the retainer shown in FIG. 15, the retainer 600 is stillsubstantially comprised of a base 130 and a cover 140. However, the base130 does not have a groove. Instead, the base includes a lower housing610. The lower housing 610 may take any geometric form such as a troughor channel which passes through the longitudinal thickness of the base130. In the illustrated retainer 600, the lower housing 610 has agenerally three sided shape. The lower housing 610 comprises threesurfaces where two opposing surfaces are parallel to each other andgenerally perpendicular to the third surface. A lower compressiblemember 615 is disposed in the lower housing 610. The lower compressiblemember 615 fills the lower housing 610, and includes a lowercompressible groove 620. This compressible groove is substantially asthe lower groove 210 described above with respect to FIGS. 2-8, exceptthat it is constructed of a compressible material, as described morefully below.

The cover 140 of the illustrated retainer 600 includes an upper housing630. Similarly to the lower housing 610, the upper housing 630 generallyreplaces the groove 230 of the system shown in FIGS. 2-8. The upperhousing 630 includes an upper compressible member 635. Both of thehousings are sized such that the space within the upper housing 630 andlower housing 610 is sufficient to accommodate various sizes ofcatheters or other medical articles when the retainer 600 is in a closedcondition. The upper compressible member 635 includes an uppercompressible groove 640.

The upper compressible groove 640 and the lower compressible groove 610of the shown retainer 600 may have any of the properties described abovewith respect to the upper and lower grooves 230, 210 of the basicretainer 120. For instance, the illustrated upper and lower grooves havea tapered cross section. The upper compressible groove 640 and the lowercompressible member 620 together form a compressible channel when theretainer 600 is in a closed condition.

The lower and upper compressible members 615, 635 of the retainer 600are comprised of a material that is compressible and compliant thatconforms to various shapes. This material can be more compressible thanthe material of the base 130 and cover 140. Preferably, the compressiblemembers 615, 635 are sufficiently pliant that they may deform so as toaccommodate the any protruding geometry of a retained medical article,such as the tab 520 of the catheter adaptor shown in FIG. 12. Manysuitable materials are capable of large deformations to surround amedical article and provide a secure fit. Suitable pliant materialsinclude, for example, but without limitation: plastics, polymers,elastomers, foams, polyester, thermoplastics, silicon elastomers,urethane epoxies, thermoplastic elastomers, and thermoset plastics andthe like. In particular, Kraton polymer compounds, such as DynaflexG2706 available from GLS Corporation is used in the illustratedembodiment.

The compressible grooves 620, 640 in the pliant material of thecompressible members 615, 635 are preferably sized so that the channelformed by the compressible grooves is somewhat smaller than the portionof the catheter adaptor to be retained. Thus, when the retainer is in aclosed condition, the pliant material will be compressed to provide aforce against the adaptor or other retained medical article. This forceinhibits longitudinal displacement of the adaptor.

In addition or as an alternative, the pliant material may be pressedinto an appropriate recess or groove disposed upon the adaptor or otherretainer medical article. By expanding into such a recess, the pliantmaterial can provide an additional gripping force to retain the adaptor.For instance, it may be desirable to place a pliant, compressiblematerial into an annular slot disposed upon the retainer and to allowthe pliant material to extend toward the axis of the channel above thesurface of the remainder (non-pliant) of the channel. Such anarrangement can be used to create a compressible collar that can beuseful for providing a frictional engagement of a secured medicalarticle.

Additionally, the surface of the compressible grooves 620, 640 mayinclude an adhesive or a surface treatment to further increase thefrictional force between the secured section of medical article catheteradaptor and the retainer 600. Suitable surface treatments include thosewhich increase the “grip” provide by the channel walls, for example bycreating a high friction surface within the channel. Examples of suchtreatments include, without limitation, corona treating, chemicaltreating, scoring, and adhesive treating. Suitable adhesive treatmentsare those which provide for releasable traction, rather than permanentbonding, between the channel and the medical article.

Suitable adhesive treatments for the surface of the compressible groovesinclude hot-melt adhesives which retain a soft tacky surface at roomtemperature. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the adhesivesother than hot-melt adhesives may serve a similar function. The adhesivemay be disposed upon the grooves 620, 640 by various means, includingbeing applied to the surfaces by spraying the adhesive into the grooves.Those of skill in the art will recognize that there are many othersurface treatments or adhesives that can be used to increase thefriction between the retainer and the catheter adaptor. Additionally,both the upper and lower grooves need not be treated in the same way.

The operation of the compressible grooves upon the body of a medicalarticle, such as a catheter adaptor is generally as described above. Inaddition, because the channel formed by the compressible grooves in aclosed condition of the retainer may be of a smaller radius than atleast a portion of the retained medical article, the compressiblemembers will deform and apply a pressure to the body of the retainedmedical article. This pressure increases the normal force acting uponthe medical article thereby increasing the frictional force between themedical article and the retainer 600. This pressure helps to inhibit anytransverse or lateral motion of the medical article relative to theretainer 600. This pressure also inhibits linear movement or rotation ofthe medical article about the longitudinal axis of the channel.

As can be seen in FIGS. 15-17, a single protrusion 290/receptacle 300pair is disposed upon the base and cover of the retainer 600. Althoughonly a single pair is disposed, the operation of the protrusion andreceptacle are substantially as described above with respect to theretainer 120 of FIGS. 2-8.

It may also be noted that the latching mechanism of the retainer 600 isdisposed upon the base 130 of the retainer 600, rather than upon thecover 140. Although the latch 150 is disposed on the base 130, and thereceiver openings 310 are disposed upon the cover, the components andoperation of the latch 150 is substantially as described above.

Because two different materials may be used for the construction of thebase 130 and cover 140 of the retainer and the compressible members 615,635, manufacturing may require an additional step when compared to theretainer 120 of FIGS. 2-8. For instance, both the compressible membersand the base and cover may be formed by injection molding. In apreferred mode of manufacturing, the entire retainer 600 is integrallyformed by a two-stage, over-molding injection process. The base 130,cover 140, latch 150 and hinge 200 can be formed in the first stage froma first material. The upper compressible member 635 and lowercompressible member 615 can be formed in an additional stage from asecond material. By using this method, the entire retainer can be formedunitarily and without involving the extra step of mechanically joiningseparately manufactured parts. However, alternatively, an adhesive orultrasonic welding can be used to attach a pre-molded upper compressiblemember 635 and lower compressible member 615 to the upper and lowerhousings 630, 610. It will be recognized that other materials ormanufacturing processes as known in the art may also be used.

Additional Variations

Other embodiments of the medical line anchoring system described hereinare briefly described below. Each of these variations may present afeatures which differs from the retainers described above. However,except as noted, the operation of these variations is substantially asdescribed with respect to the foregoing retainers.

In one variation, the channel of the retainer may be configured to botha portion of a connector fitting, and a portion of a catheter adaptor.This can be particularly effective when used with compressible members.The pliant material of the retainer can deform to the shape of both theconnector fitting and the catheter adaptor and inhibit adaptor movement.Gripping the combination of the connector fitting and catheter adaptorin the region where they are joined to one another may be advantageouswhen a tapered catheter adaptor has neither a projecting element nor arough surface. This embodiment may be capable of gripping a catheterassembly, such as the joined connector fitting and catheter adaptor,even when significant forces are applied to the catheter assembly in thelongitudinal direction toward the connector fitting and away from thecatheter adaptor.

Another usage of the systems and devices described herein is to providea medical line kit which includes a retainer and anchor pad alreadydisposed upon an appropriate connector fitting or other medical article.Such an arrangement can allow for more streamlined placement of amedical line onto a patient. After inserting the catheter with itsadaptor into the patient, the connector fitting can be inserted into thelumen of the catheter adaptor and then secured in position, e.g., viathe spin nut of the connector fitting. This can be done with thesecurement device already in position upon the connector fitting.Because the retainer is already placed upon the connector fitting 400,the medical practitioner can simply remove the liner 180 from the anchorpad 110 and place the lower surface 160 of the anchor pad onto thepatient at the appropriate location.

The various embodiments of securement devices and techniques describedabove thus provide a number of ways to provide safe and releasablesecurement for medical articles to the skin of a patient. In addition,the techniques described may be broadly applied for use with a varietyof medical lines and medical procedures.

Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all suchobjectives or advantages may be achieved in accordance with anyparticular embodiment using the systems described herein. Thus, forexample, those skilled in the art will recognize that the systems may bedeveloped in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or groupof advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving otherobjectives or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

Furthermore, the skilled artisan will recognize the interchangeabilityof various features from different embodiments. For example, variationsin the latch design which place the latch on the cover and the openingson the base may be combined with systems in which the projections aredisposed upon the base of the retainer in order to grip the medicalarticle even before the cover is secured in position. In anotherexample, a slotted channel design might be used in a retainer having acompressible channel, as shown in FIG. 18. Similarly, the variousaspects of the latch design, as well as other known equivalents for thedescribed features, can be mixed and matched by one of ordinary skill inthis art to produce securement devices and techniques in accordance withprinciples of the system described herein.

Although these techniques and systems have been disclosed in the contextof certain embodiments and examples, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that these techniques and systems may be extendedbeyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternativeembodiments and/or uses and obvious modifications and equivalentsthereof. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the systems disclosedherein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosedembodiments described above, but should be determined only by the scopeof the claims that follow.

1. A method of releasably securing a catheter to a retainer, the methodcomprising: providing a catheter comprising an elongated tubular region,a first region with a radius larger than the tubular region, and asecond region with a radius larger than the tubular region, a unitaryportion of the catheter being disposed between and extending beyond thefirst region and the second region; providing a retainer comprising abase and a cover, the cover having a closed configuration in which thecover lies generally over the base of the retainer and the cover alsohaving an open configuration in which the cover is rotated away from thebase of the retainer, the retainer further comprising a lower groovedisposed upon the base and an upper groove disposed upon the cover, suchthat when the cover is in the closed configuration, the lower groove andthe upper groove cooperate to form a channel, wherein the lower groovehas a longitudinal length that generally matches a longitudinal lengthof the upper groove; placing the cover of the retainer in the openconfiguration; attaching the catheter to the retainer by placing theunitary portion of the catheter in the lower groove of the retainer; andplacing the cover of the retainer in the closed configuration so thatthe first region and the second region are disposed outside of theretainer, wherein placing the cover in the closed configuration inhibitsminor longitudinal movement of the catheter through the channel.
 2. Amethod as in claim 1, wherein the step of placing the cover of theretainer in the open configuration further comprises moving the coverinto the open configuration using only one hand.
 3. A method as in claim1, wherein the step of providing a retainer further comprises providinga retainer having a base with a set of projections disposed adjacent tothe lower groove, each of the projections extending vertically from anedge of the lower groove.
 4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the step ofattaching the catheter to the retainer further comprises pressing theunitary portion of the catheter into the lower groove of the retainersuch that the unitary portion of the catheter is held within the lowergroove via a snap-fit between the set of projections.
 5. A method as onclaim 1 further comprising latching the base and the cover toselectively secure the cover to the base when the cover is in the closedconfiguration.
 6. A method as in claim 1 further comprising positioningthe retainer on a patient so as to inhibit minor movement of thecatheter at an insertion point relative to the patient.
 7. A method ofreleasably securing a catheter to a retainer, the method comprising:providing a catheter comprising an elongated tubular region, anoutwardly extending member and a spin nut, a unitary portion of thecatheter being disposed between and extending beyond the outwardlyextending member and the spin nut; providing a retainer comprising abase and a cover, the cover being coupled to the base and movablebetween an open position and a closed position, the cover and the basebeing coterminous in a longitudinal direction and cooperating to definea channel when the cover lies in the closed position, the channel havinga length that generally matches a length of the tubular region; placingthe cover of the retainer in the open position; attaching the catheterto the retainer by placing the unitary portion of the catheter in atleast a portion of the channel of the retainer; and placing the cover ofthe retainer in the closed position so as to inhibit at least minorlongitudinal movement of the catheter through the channel, that portionof the catheter which is received by the channel of the retainer beinglocated between the outwardly extending member and the spin nut andhaving a received length that generally matches the length of thechannel.
 8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the step of placing thecover of the retainer in the open position further comprises moving thecover into the open position using only one hand.
 9. A method as inclaim 7, wherein the step of providing a retainer further comprisesproviding a retainer having a base with a set of projections disposedadjacent to at least a portion of the channel, each of the projectionsextending vertically from an edge of the portion of the channel.
 10. Amethod as in claim 9, wherein the step of attaching the catheter to theretainer further comprises pressing the unitary portion of the catheterinto the portion of the channel of the retainer such that the unitaryportion of the catheter is held within the portion of the channel via asnap-fit between the set of projections.
 11. A method as on claim 7further comprising latching the base and the cover to selectively securethe cover to the base when the cover is in the closed position.
 12. Amethod of releasably securing a catheter to a retainer, the methodcomprising: providing a catheter comprising an elongated tubular region,a first region with a radius larger than the tubular region, and asecond region with a radius larger than the tubular region, a unitaryportion of the catheter being disposed between and extending beyond thefirst region and the second region; providing a retainer comprising abase and a cover, the cover having a closed configuration in which thecover lies generally over the base of the retainer and the cover alsohaving an open configuration in which the cover is rotated away from thebase of the retainer, the retainer further comprising a lower groovedisposed upon the base and an upper groove disposed upon the cover, suchthat when the cover is in the closed configuration, the lower groove andthe upper groove cooperate to form a channel, wherein the lower groovehas a longitudinal length that generally matches a longitudinal lengthof the upper groove; placing the cover of the retainer in the openconfiguration; attaching the catheter to the retainer by pressing theunitary portion of the catheter into the lower groove of the retainersuch that the unitary portion of the catheter is held within the lowergroove via a snap-fit at least when the cover is in the openconfiguration; and placing the cover of the retainer in the closedconfiguration so that the retainer inhibits minor longitudinal movementof the catheter through the channel.